Technology is that necessary evil we need and absolutely hate when it breaks. A home office needs the best technology to make your space function as if you were at the office.
In many offices you have an IT person to rescue you when things go amiss. But when you are in a home office situation, you are the IT guy and the solutions fall on you. Now is a great time to brush up on your at home technology needs.
A few simple tools for success are of course your computer, numerous charging stations and quality headphones. Having a laptop allows you to go anywhere, and the luxury to work outside, on the sofa or at your desk is absolutely wonderful. Some of you may have gotten used to a dual monitor situation. You can easily find an inexpensive monitor and it’ll be worth the investment to make you feel more at work in your home office.
Think about having charging stations or cords available in the various locations you may be working in. For me, I like to research on my sofa with my feet up, so I added a cord for easy connectivity. I also like to end the day with email, so I added a cord in my bedroom. This gives me three places to charge and work from home. If you’re in an older home, outlets may be hard to come by so a charging strip is another great option. Outlets with a charging port in them are great for kitchen and bathrooms for quick and easy access.
Quality headphones are a must when working from home if you are not alone or don’t have a dedicated space. This gives you privacy when you need it and better sound quality. Look into something with a bit of color or fun style.
Some other technical things to consider, you may need to upgrade the number of devices that are serviced by your modem. Make sure you check this out for great internet access before you get deep in the home office world and realize you need technical support.
Video calls are the new normal and let’s be honest, they might be what keeps us all sane. We need to see the expressions of the person on the other end to help determine how the message is being received. Meetings are not only for passing information, but also to connect with the people at the other end. Be sure to look for ways to connect that are secure and fun for communication.
Zoom calls are probably the most popular way to communicate at this point. They do have a free option you can use with one person with limitless time. If you wish to add more people you have a 40-minute time limit, but it can be extended. Another option is Whereby.com. This is a great professional option, and it can be used for a personal also. You do not have a code to deal with, just a link. Mine is whereby.com/Laurareddinteriors. This option lets you set up a landing page that invites people back when the call is scheduled, you can show your logo or something that represents your brand. Google hangouts is another way to create that connection. My bible study uses this to stay connected.
Creating the most functional home office for you is so important. Make the technology be as comfortable as the chair you are sitting in.